Poughkeepsie’s Brian McLaughlin Corners Fighter To Historic UFC Victory

Aug 162019

Poughkeepsie’s Brian McLaughlin working with Jim Miller

This past weekend at UFC on ESPN 5, New Jersey’s own Jim Miller faced off against UFC legend and Hall of Famer Clay Guida. Hoping to extend his record of most fights in the UFC, Miller stared across the cage to meet eyes with his fellow UFC veteran. In Miller’s corner stood Precision Boxing and MMA’s head coach Brian McLaughlin. Clay had his brother Jason Guida, who was on The Ultimate Fighter season 8 alongside Hudson Valley resident McLaughlin. This bout was a fan favorite on the card, a fight that seemingly should have taken place years ago; but neither man seems to have lost a stride with age. The fight begins with both men getting a sense of each other’s movement with Miller in a southpaw stance, mirroring Guida in an orthodox stance. Miller threw a head kick and both men engaged in a flurry, each landing meaningful punches. Miller replies to a hard shot from Guida with a left hook. As Guida ducks under the hook, Miller is able to get a secure grip around Guida’s neck and fall to his guard, locking in a tight guillotine choke.

Miller finishes his fight via 1st round guillotine choke.

After both men hit the mat, Jim kept an iron-clad squeeze on Guida’s neck. After a couple of seconds, referee Herb Dean noticed Guida’s hand go limp and stopped the fight. Jim shakes himself out from under Guida’s unconscious body and jumps up on the cage to celebrate in his home state. Miller has been on a tear, winning three of his last four bouts. If you live in the Hudson Valley and want to train with the same coach as UFC veteran Jim Miller, check out Precision Boxing and MMA in Poughkeepsie!
Give us a call at (845)392-8495 or visit our website at http://www.precisionmixedmartialarts.com to get started today!

5 Tips for A New BJJ White Belt in The Hudson Valley

BJJ, jiu-jitsu, Uncategorized No Responses »

Nov 142018

Congratulations! You’ve made the decision to begin your Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey. You’re probably pretty excited, maybe even a little nervous. That’s normal, as long as you’ve chosen an academy with passionate qualified coaches, you have nothing to worry about. The benefits of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are bountiful. Training is a beautiful and productive way to learn more about yourself and overcome any difficulties that you may be experiencing throughout your life. However, there are a handful of very common beginner mistakes that could stunt your progress. Here’s a list of common things to avoid:

Learn to properly tie your belt.

When you arrive at your academy, the first thing most people do before stepping onto the mats is to change into their Gi. This is where one of the most common mistakes occurs. First and foremost, make sure your pants are facing the right way. My first day, I put my pants on backwards and my first interaction with my coach was him discreetly alerting me that my pants were on backwards. I felt like a fool, but the longer I trained, I realized it’s a classic beginner error. When putting on your pants, make sure that the drawstring loops and logo are in front. Draw the strings so that the pants are snug around your waist, pull them through the loops and tie a knot in the front. Now that your pants are on and you’ve put on the Gi jacket, it’s time to tie the belt. There are tons of online tutorials on how to tie a belt, and they’re all pretty simple. This may seem insignificant, but a poorly tied belt sends a message to your coaches and classmates that you’re not taking this seriously. Dress like you want to be there.

Stay consistent

Attendance is important for progress. Make sure to come to class often and that your training is consistent. It’s okay to miss a class to spend time with your family and friends, and it’s understandable that work will get in the way sometimes. With everything going on in your life, it’s vital to keep track of how often you’ve been attending. If you’re only coming to class once a week, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Sure, one day a week is better than nothing, however you’re putting your body through new motions and challenging your brain to understand brand new concepts. If you only practice these new techniques once a week, there’s a good chance that you’ll forget some key details by the time the following week rolls around. Most submissions require some sort of setup and consist of multiple steps. If you’re missing one step, you could be missing 30% of the move! Imagine throwing a punch with 30% of your arm missing. It wouldn’t be nearly as effective, and probably would fall short of your target. In addition to making sure you’re understanding and remembering techniques, attending class regularly will get your body into the shape that you need to perform at your full potential.

Leave your ego at the door.

This is something that you’ve probably heard before, and arguably the most important thing for beginners to remember. Jiu-Jitsu is humbling and coming in with a “tough guy” attitude can be worst thing for your progress. Come in viewing yourself as a student and keep in mind that you’re new to this. It’s healthiest to view Jiu-Jitsu as a scholarly pursuit, something that you’re working on learning. Be patient with yourself. Don’t muscle through techniques. Although Jiu-Jitsu is a physically demanding activity, people often mistake strength for technique. Yes, being strong can be beneficial in Jiu-Jitsu as well as other forms of combat, however it’s common for stronger guys to overlook details of techniques because they can muscle their way to victory. This is all well and good until they roll with somebody of similar or more powerful physique. Always keep in mind to make sure you’re doing the technique properly. If you’re using a herculean effort, you’re probably doing something wrong.

Drill often.

I know, once open mat time comes around, everybody just wants to roll. Rolling is great, you can learn a lot, you get to apply the techniques that you’ve been drilling, and it’s inevitably the most fun part of training. However, it’s important to balance your open mat time with drilling sessions as well as rolling. Try to find a higher belt who’s willing to drill with you, they can provide insight that you may have overlooked. Even if it’s just you and another novice, just drill the techniques that you had gone over in class until you’re feeling confident. Then go for a few rolls and try to hit the moves you were drilling.

Have fun.

Above all, make sure that you’re having fun! Jiu-Jitsu is a beautiful discipline and has brought more joy to my life than any other activity that I’ve been a part of. Enjoy learning, go in with a positive and humble attitude, drill lots and stay consistent. Happy rolling!

If you want to make your Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu dreams a reality, come check out Precision Boxing and MMA; the Hudson Valleys Premier mixed martial arts academy! Give us a call at (845)392-8495 to schedule your free lesson today!

Hudson Valley Martial Arts Competition Training

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Apr 092013

How Precision MMA Can Prepare A Student for Martial Arts’ Competition

Various authorities on the subject have stated recently that they believe martial arts have evolved more in the past 20 years than in the past 200 years. This may seem a bold claim, but is quite possibly true with the introduction of the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993 and the vast network of information provided by the Internet. Along with the increased awareness of styles found to be effective in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts has come a vast increase in practitioners of those styles, and with this has come an increase in the number of competitions held. This not only includes increased competition in both professional and amateur MMA, but also a greater number of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments, kickboxing and Muay Thai fights, Judo competitions, and also more interest in school wrestling programs and local boxing programs. While almost every town has a martial arts’ dojo of some kind, most cannot provide the kind of quality instruction necessary to prepare students for these kinds of competitions. Precision Mixed Martial Arts, located in the Hudson Valley region of New York, boasts instructors who are experts in all these disciplines, and can get students of any style in competition shape.

When a student signs up for Precision Mixed Martial Arts they may not have competition in mind at first and the idea of testing themselves may come to them at a later point in their training. At some schools this could be a dilemma because the type and pace of the training offered may be very opposite from a tournament or fight atmosphere. For example, let’s look first at the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as it is practiced at many schools versus how it is taught at Precision in the Hudson Valley. First of all, anyone acquainted with the martial art of BJJ will know that there are two distinct styles: Gi Jiu-jitsu, where the competitors wear a full kimono with a top, pants and a belt, and no-gi Jiu-Jitsu, also known as submission grappling, where the competitors wear a pair of shorts and a rash guard. While the two styles have many similarities, they also have many differences when it comes to grips, pace of the match, takedowns, and overall strategy. Many martial arts’ schools only offer instruction in one or the other, and this becomes a problem if the student has interest in competing in the style not offered by their dojo. Many a BJJ student has entered a no-gi division at a local tournament after training a year or two with the gi on, believing the two styles to be nearly identical, only to meet with defeat because they were unprepared for the differences. The same has also occurred the other way around, with students training exclusively no-gi, then entering a gi competition and finding themselves confused by the different grips and chokes. Luckily, Hudson Valley’ martial artists training at Precision can train in both styles and be prepared to compete under both formats. In fact, the two styles can complement each other and work as training tools for competition in the other. For example, training with the gi on can help a no-gi competitor work on his grip strength. Or, if the student trains without grabbing his opponent’s gi and asks his opponent not to collar choke him (since neither will apply to no-gi competition), he can otherwise learn a great deal about posturing which can cross over to no-gi. This is because he will have to develop the muscles necessary to resist the increased pounds of pressure created by the downward pull of the kimono that would not be focused on as greatly in no-gi training. Another reason that gi training can help no-gi training is that the increased friction caused by the gi will reduce the sweat factor which allows submission grapplers to more easily slide out of submissions without using as much technique, so no-gi grapplers will have to learn more technical escapes based less on athleticism. Likewise, no-gi grappling can greatly aid gi grapplers in their style because they will have to develop different types of grips which can cross over equally well to their style, (such as underhooks and overhooks), but which they may not have focused on as much in gi training due to over reliance upon gi grips. Since Precision Mixed Martial Arts in the Hudson Valley offers both of these styles, a student wishing to compete under either will reap the benefits.

Moreover, martial artists at Precision in the Hudson Valley will learn to wrestle in their submission grappling classes and they will also learn Judo takedowns in their gi Jiu-Jitsu classes. This is something that most Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu schools do not offer, and for this reason many competitors in both styles of grappling have been unsuccessful in competition because they did not know how to defend against, or initiate the takedown. In fact, there is such a heavy emphasis upon both wrestling and Judo in Precision’s Jiu-Jitsu classes that many students have been able to have success in local Hudson Valley wrestling tournaments. Since schools in the New York’s Hudson Valley region are rife with quality wrestling teams, these young wrestlers often come over to Precision to complement their wrestling with Jiu-Jitsu and Judo, as well as extra wrestling classes, and find increased success on the wrestling mat. Likewise, the local wrestlers help our Jiu-Jitsu students with their takedowns and our jiu-jitsukas find more success in grappling tournaments.

In terms of overall strategy, Precision in the Hudson Valley’s instructors have a wealth of experience in all grappling styles so they will know how to coach their students in competition. We have black and brown belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu who have extensive competition experience in both gi and no-gi divisions who can help students learn the point systems found in local Hudson Valley tournaments and also teach them how to pace themselves in their matches. We also have multiple Division One wrestlers who have competed at schools in the Hudson Valley region who can teach our wrestlers and jiu-jitsukas how to apply their mat skills and a renowned Judo black belt who is experienced in training Judokas for competition.

In addition to the many grappling styles taught at Precision Mixed Martial Arts, we also offer the striking styles of Muay Thai Kickboxing and conventional western boxing and our coaches are perfectly equipped to prepare our students for the ring. Our head Muay Thai coach, Karl Nemeth, is himself an AKBF kickboxing champion in the Hudson Valley area with multiple victories and several knockouts to his credit who is quite adept at teaching both beginning and advanced students the skills necessary for sport competition. Likewise, our head boxing coach, Derrick Ohlhoff, is a three-time Golden Gloves’ boxing champion who has coached many of our students to wins in the boxing ring. The knowledge our coaches have to impart is multi dimensional. Not only will our striking instructors teach the aspiring competitor the necessary technique but they will also make sure that the student has a practical application for it by having the student engage in serious sparring sessions before any fight so that they will know what to expect. While it might seem strange to some, many martial arts’ academies do not even allow sparring, either deeming it unnecessary or fearing that students will be injured. Yet some of these schools will actually allow their students to enter competitions without ever experiencing real contact in sparring and it is this that will actually increase their risks for injury once they truly step foot in the ring. Also, many martial arts’ schools in the Hudson Valley and elsewhere do not have an actual boxing ring so they are unprepared for the environment under which they will be competing. This is not a problem at Precision with our new sixteen by sixteen foot ring. Strikers at Precision will also have rounds set with timers that will sound at the end of each to prepare them for the short bursts necessary during a competition bout. Nothing is left to chance and we make sure our fighters are ready for everything they will experience come fight night.

Finally, if Mixed Martial Arts is a goal of the Precision trainee, a better coach cannot be found than in our head instructor Brian McLaughlin. McLaughlin is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and two-time MMA champion who boasts an impressive 6-2 record and has even competed on the UFC’s reality show T.U.F, season eight. McLaughlin teaches his MMA students everything they will need to find success in the cage. Often neglected by other martial arts’ schools, McLaughlin teaches his students proper nutrition and weight cutting skills so that they can make the right competition weight and feel strong and healthy when stepping out there. The MMA classes themselves focus on all aspects of mixed martial arts, including ground and pound, fusing takedowns with strikes, getting back to one’s feet and defending from the bottom against an opponent on top, as well as many other elements. Brian also makes sure that all his aspiring competitors have the necessary cardio to deal with the pace of an MMA fight, and even has many tips to dealing with the mental stresses of fighting which he has learned through his actual ring experience.

In summary, no matter what style of martial art a student wishes to compete in, Precision MMA in the Hudson Valley will be able to adequately prepare them. Don’t waste your time training with coaches who claim to know what it takes to fight without ever having put the gloves on themselves. Try us out for 30 free days and see all we have to offer the aspiring competitor.

Get Started at Precision Mixed Martial Arts Today! Make sure to ask about our 30-day FREE trial!

Jamey Bazes is a lifelong martial artist holding a brown belt in both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kenpo Karate. He also holds a master’s degree from SUNY New Paltz. He is a student of Precision Mixed Martial Arts in LaGrange, NY (near Poughkeepsie) and a decorated competitor including a Delaware Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu State Championship and a NAGA World Title. To train with Jamey in Poughkeepsie NY check out Precision MMA http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

Read even more about Hudson Valley MMA

Poughkeepsie Martial Arts at Precision MMA

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Feb 082013

Interested in Poughkeepsie Martial Arts? Precision MMA now offers a 30 Day FREE Trial call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

Poughkeepsie martial arts

When I began training Poughkeepsie martial arts back in 1999 the term “mixed martial arts” was so esoteric that when I brought it up in conversation it was like I was speaking a foreign language. The UFC was off pay per view and no one had aspirations of being a cage fighter. The few people that did train had the attitude of superiority with their chosen style. This was especially true of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

I remember telling my Poughkeepsie martial arts Jiu-Jitsu coach at the time that I was thinking of wrestling with my high school. He was very displeased and told me, through his thick Portuguese accent, “Wrestling is all strength, why you want to do? A wrestler take you down, you choke him”. That was the line of thinking back then. My style is better than yours, no need to learn, no need to evolve.

Following the success of The Ultimate Fighter and the subsequent explosion of the UFC, mixed martial arts became a world wide sensation. Every Poughkeepsie martial arts school, even those operating for over a decade as a single style, became “MMA Gyms” and although the signs outside the gym were painted over, very little changed within the curriculum of these gyms. The grappling schools added a few heavy bags and the striking schools learned a few headlocks, but few instructors expanded their horizons and rarely were outsiders brought in to even out the program.

I’m proud to say that my Poughkeepsie martial arts gym did not follow suite. Today we have individual experts in Judo, BJJ, Wrestling, Boxing, and Muay Thai. There is no sense of superiority of one style over another and a genuine desire amongst the head instructors to absorb everything that each style has to offer.

At Precision “Mixed Martial Arts” is not just a marketing ploy. December 11^th was a big day for our competition team. It started off when Derrick Feliciano (Little “D”) won his scholastic wrestling tournament. Later in the evening coach Karl Nemeth won the 155 pound AKBF Muay Thai title and John Joy won the 160 pound AKBF Boxing title. At the event I found out that Will Nagy took home 1^st place at the Fort Dix Combatives tournament (combatives is a military hand to hand fighting styling mixing grappling and striking). Not only did we have four competitors take home gold, they competed in four distinct styles of martial arts. From grappling to striking they were all able to successfully compete while training under one roof. In addition, the competitors they defeated were specialized in only their one discipline. I’m very happy to say Precision has risen above the dogmatic thinking of the past and evolved into one of the only true MMA gyms in the Poughkeepsie martial arts world. Although the results are pleasing our journey is far from its destination. Remember to keep your eyes open and absorb all that the martial arts world has to offer – regardless of what “style” may be attached to it.

Check out Poughkeepsie martial arts at Precision MMA FREE for 30 Days Click HERE or call 845-392-8495 and get started today

Hudson Vally Martial Arts at Precision MMA

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Feb 052013

Hudson Valley Martial Arts Thrives at Precision MMA

Precision MMA is a unique Hudson Vally martial arts school. Unlike other martial arts schools which specialize in a particular style of martial arts, Precision has a diverse curriculum including wrestling, boxing, muay thai, Mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Hudson Vally martial arts

Precision MMA competitors have been hard at work across the Hudson Valley in the ring and on the mats. Gabe Khoury, in his first year of Hudson Valley wrestling, took home the JV section 1 wrestling title! Gabe wasn’t the only one tearing up the wrestling room though, Precision MMA’s Mikey Rooney also won section 1 gold and will now go on to compete at the state tournament. Derrick Feliciano performed very well in the varsity ranks. D beat some of the Hudson Valley’s best at divisionals, making it to the sectional tournament, a run at the state title is surely in his future.

In the squared circle we had John Joy putting his boxing on display at the NY state Golden Gloves. Joy made the trip from the Hudson Valley to Buffalo and fought a home town favorite. After getting struck with an illegal blow to the back of the head, Joy fought back and earned a decision victory. In the second round of the tournament Joy was dominating the first half of his fight, but dislocated a rib after a well placed body shot, allowing his opponent to come back and earn the victory. Although he fell short of winning the gloves, Joy showed that he belongs among the top amateurs and will be back next year to take another swing at the title.

Also, Precision martial arts purple belt Will Nagy has been putting his skills to the test in combatives competition. Combatives is the US Army’s style of mixed martial arts specifically developed for real world combat. Will trained at Precision since his freshman year at West Point, he recently took part in the Fort Hood Combatives tournament at 185 pounds and took home the title. He sent me an email thanking everyone at Precision for helping him through the years:

“Hey Brian, I just wanted to let you know that winning that martial arts tournament was a huge deal for me in terms of my career and setting myself apart from my peers, which is very difficult to do as a lieutenant. I got recognized by colonels and generals for winning, I was the only officer to win, and I’ve been put up for a non-valorous medal for winning it. I’m also going to be put on special duty for a few moths to exclusively train to represent fort hood at the all army tournament. Most importantly it gives me a level of respect and credibility with my soldiers that would have taken months or years to build up otherwise. I couldn’t have done it without you and everyone at Precision!”

Check out Hudson Valley Martial Arts at Precision MMA FREE for 30 Days call 845-392-8495 or click here

http://www.lagrangemartialarts.com

UFC Fighters Use Poughkeepsie MMA Coach

MMA No Responses »

Jan 312013

Poughkeepsie MMA

There are many gyms to choose from in the Poughkeepsie area for mixed martial arts. All boast that they can help you reach UFC glory. However, the reality is that none of the instructors at these Poughkeepsie mixed martial arts gyms have never fought themselves and certainly never worked with a fighter who has reached the UFC.

Precision Mixed Martial Arts is different. Head instructor Brian McLaughlin has stepped into the UFC octagon as a fighter on season 8 of “The Ultimate Fighter” and won MMA titles in Ring of Combat and Sportfighting.

However, Coach Brian’s highest achievements are not his personal victories, but those of his students. Brian’s instruction goes beyond the Poughkeepsie area; he is sought after by some of the best fighters in the entire Mixed Martial Arts world to help them prepare for their high profile UFC fights.

UFC veteran Dan Miller enlisted the help of Precision’s head coach for his UFC on FX fight against Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt Ricardo Funch. With Coach Brian in his corner Dan secured a spectacular guillotine choke and earned himself a hefty bonus for “Submission of the Night”

Poughkeepsie MMA

Dan credits his success in part to the training he received from coach Brian:

Hi I’m Dan Miller UFC welterweight I’ve been training with Brian McLaughlin – a fantastic jiu-jitsu coach, very technical just a great coach all around and a great guy. If you’re ever up in the Poughkeepsie area you’ve got to get in there and train with him. He’s got some great guys in the gym and he helped me win my “Submission of the Night” in my last fight, it was a fantastic night and I have a great time training with him

UFC superstar Jim Miller also works with Brian to prepare for his fights. Most recently, Jim won “Fight of the Night” honors in his victory against top lightweight Joe Lauzon in what many are calling the fight of the year.

Poughkeepsie MMA

Hi guys I’m Jim Miller 12 time UFC vet, I’ve been working with Brian McLaughlin for the last couple years training with him, if you’re in the Poughkeepsie area and you’re looking to get into MMA or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu give Brian a call there is no one better in the area. He has a fantastic game for both sport Jiu-jitsu and MMA – you’ll be able to become a great competitor and get in better shape so look him up

Don’t trust your MMA training to just anyone. Precision MMA’s coaches are trusted by some of the top fighters in the UFC. If you live in Poughkeepsie, NY and have dreams of fighting in the greatest MMA organization in the world Precision can get you to your goal.

To start your FREE 30 Day Trial call Precision MMA today at 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

Precision MMA – The Best Mixed Martial Arts in Poughkeepsie, NY

Kid’s Karate Classes Teach Life Lessons to Hudson Valley Youth

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Jan 302013

Jamey Bazes is a lifelong Hudson Valley martial artist and senior student at Precision MMA in LaGrange, NY. Here he recounts how his early experiences in Karate classes and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu taught him valuable life lessons.

To give your child the gift of martial arts call Precision MMA today and start your FREE 30 Day Trial at 845-392-8495 or visit www.LaGrangeMartialArts.com

Hudson Valley Kids Karate Classes

How Training in Karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Classes as a Child Impacted My Life as an Adult

I still remember being eight years old and my reaction to seeing The Karate Kid for the first time. “I want to do that”, I said to myself. And so it began. Four days a week of training at my local Hudson Valley Karate classes. I actually remember the very first technique I ever learned: a defense again a stranglehold consisting of two elbows and a hammer fist. I remember getting back from that first class and practicing the move in my backyard under the hot July sun. I remember feeling empowered that I actually knew how to perform a martial arts move.

Hudson Valley Karate Classes

Little did I know that that day in the Hudson Valley Karate class would begin my life long love affair with the martial arts and that this training would bring about many positive changes in my life as I got older. However, even as a child I would soon find out that this path would not be an easy one. It took me much longer to earn my first belt than most of my peers. I clearly remember wondering why students who had begun training after me were being awarded their belts first. Even as a young child I remember thinking to myself “is my Sensei testing me? Is there some reason he wants to make me wait longer before giving me that next belt?” To this day I am convinced that my Sensei was trying to teach me the lessons of patience and perseverance. Karate classes would test me more than anything I had faced at that point in my life. When I finally did get my first belt I would find that the next few did not come much more easily.

Earning the right to take a “belt test”, as they were referred to, was not easy and I remember that once during karate class I asked my Sensei whether or not I was ready for the “test” yet that he responded “don’t ask me when you are ready for your next belt test, I will tell you.” I never asked again, but it was very difficult to resist the temptation to do so. However, whenever I would be told I was ready for my next test and the date would be set for me to prepare, I would become jubilant. Knowing that the end was in sight and that I had a goal to work towards inspired me at this young age in a way that tests or papers in school could not. When the tests would finally happen, they would be emotionally trying. My instructor would stand there, stoic faced with a pen and clip board in hand watching my movements and marking things off. I could never read his expression and would wonder the entire time “how am I doing? Am I going to pass?” And then when the test would finally end and he would walk towards me, hand out stretched to shake mine and say “congratulations, you passed the test” the feeling of achievement would be incredible.

The most important memory I have of my early training though was when I took my 1^st degree brown belt test. Looking back, what stands out was not the karate class where I received the belt or even the moments where I was doing well. Rather, it is the experience of getting punched in the stomach and knocked down during a sparring session with one of my more advanced peers. I remember that after falling I locked eyes with my instructor. As I did he looked down at me with a slight smile and a “knowing look”, as if he knew that this was an early test of my manhood and that my passing would be dependent upon my getting back to my feet again. Of course, I did, and I passed the test. It might seem like a small moment, but afterwards I felt like the toughest man in the entire Hudson Valley.

I only stayed in Karate class for one more belt mainly because I wanted to learn the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Much like my early years in Karate classes, belts did not come easy. Likewise, it had been my goal for years to take first place in a Jiu-Jitsu tournament, a task that would be years in the making. But when it did occur, and I won 2 tournaments in the span of 3 weeks, the victory felt that much sweeter because of how long it had taken me. Three years later I would win another two tournaments in only one week’s time. The lessons of patience and dedication I had learned as a youth in my Hudson Valley Karate classes served me well once again.

The end result is that the martial arts training I had as a child taught me patience and perseverance. When I would take exams in school I would usually be one of the last to finish, but I would simply smile to myself when other students would rush up to turn in their exams in only half the time, knowing that in the end I would probably do just as well as them, and I usually did. When I worked on a farm for one summer in my adult hood and certain tasks took me longer than others, who would be quick to criticize me for being slow, I would never acknowledge their remarks, and in the end I would be praised by my boss for my attention to detail.

I am convinced that in every martial arts instructor and every truly good teacher that I have had since my days in Karate that there has been present in each just a little bit of my first Sensei. The lessons he taught me about persistence have stood the test of time and crossed over into these other areas of my life. I have actually come to enjoy being made to work harder to achieve my goals, because I know that the end result will be that much more deserved. So now when a certain endeavor takes me longer than it might take some, or I am made to wait for some reward that I am working towards, I do not lose faith or become impatient. In fact, I would not have it any other way.

To start your child in Karate classes in the Hudson Valley contact Precision MMA at 845-392-8495 or visit www.lagrangemartialarts.com and ask about our FREE 30 Day Trial

http://www.lagrangemartialarts.com/

Self Defense in the Real World – Poughkeepsie martial arts

BJJ, jiu-jitsu, MMA, self defense No Responses »

Jan 242013

Martial arts training helps not only the student, but also all those that come into contact with him. Realistic martial arts training allows a student to stay calm in even the most chaotic of situations. Here is the story of an ordinary Poughkeepsie Man who was able to use his martial arts training to help his fellow man.

Precision MMA Student uses his Techniques to Stop an Attack

My name is Joe Bottiglieri, and I turned 40 this past August. I am a husband, father to three daughters and a Marine Corps Veteran. I started training near Poughkeepsie, NY under Brian McLaughlin at Precision MMA. I am currently ranked a one-stripe Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The impact BJJ has had on my life has been nothing short of extraordinary and extremely positive.

Poughkeepsie martial arts

While driving home from Poughkeepsie a few weeks ago, I stopped at a gas station to get something to drink. As I was walking in, I noticed two groups of people speaking to each other in what could only be described as a highly agitated manner. As I was leaving the store, the situation had escalated to a violent state. Someone had taken a swing at a female over an insult resulted in two guys from one group physically assaulting a single guy from the other. They wrestled him to the ground and crouched over him, punching and kicking him wildly. While the individual was on the ground, he was screaming at his friends for help – but nobody was doing anything.
I make it a point to avoid this type of violence unless absolutely necessary and in this case, I felt it was appropriate to get involved. I dropped my stuff and started telling the individuals to get off of him, which they did not do. I got closer and struck the attacker facing me in the side of his head with an open palm, to avoid doing any serious damage to his nose, eyes or face. He stood up a bit and looked at me. In an aggressive tone, I told him to get off of him. This seemed to register and he stopped. The other attacker had his back to me and was still punching the victim. When I tried pulling him off he didn‘t budge. I slid my left arm around his neck and over the bicep of my right arm and started cinching up a rear-naked choke, while telling him that was enough. I was worried that the other attacker might try to sucker-punch me at this point but he wasn‘t budging. I kept tightening the choke on him until he stopped punching. At that point I slid him back a little bit and released the choke. He landed on his butt and scrambled to his feet. I could easily have put him to sleep but applying the choke with control until he stopped was more than effective. I don‘t think he wanted to find out how much tighter I could have made it.
I was prepared to defend myself if need be and to be honest – I was really worried that one of them might have a knife or a gun, but that wasn‘t the case. Realizing the police might arrive the attackers quickly ran towards their car. The victim on the ground was back on his feet at this point and started after the attackers. His friends and I held him back and advised him to get their license plate number along with the make and model of their car.

While I wish things like this wouldn‘t happen, I‘ve been around long enough to know that they will and usually when you least expect it. If there‘s a positive in any of this, it‘s that nobody was seriously injured and I was able to remain relatively calm and apply fundamental BJJ in a real-life situation. As a result I prevented several people from receiving injuries far worse than a few bruises and scrapes. Applying the techniques on the attacker was no different than live grappling in class at Precision MMA because we always train realistically with fully-resisting opponents. Without my martial arts training, I might have used more force to stop the assault and as a result, caused more injury to either of the individuals involved, which could have escalated the level of violence.

Joe used his Poughkeepsie martial arts training to keep those around him safe. If you’d like to learn martial arts in Poughkeepsie, NY check out Precision MMA FREE for 30 Days call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

Hudson Valley Mixed Martial Arts at Precision MMA in LaGrangeville, NY

BJJ, Boxing, jiu-jitsu, MMA, muay thai No Responses »

Jan 222013

Mixed Martial Arts has become a buzz word in the Hudson Valley. Now that the UFC is one of the most popular sporting events Hudson Valley schools that specialize in a single martial arts discipline are now calling themselves “Mixed Martial Arts Gyms“

Hudson Valley Mixed Martial Arts

A sign that you may be stuck in a phony MMA gym in the Hudson Valley is the frequency that the different arts are trained. A true Hudson Valley Mixed Martial Arts School will have a combination of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, muay thai and boxing each and every day. Many fake mixed martial arts gyms will have grappling everyday and “striking” one or two days at most (or vice versa).

Precision Mixed Martial Arts prides itself on being the most diverse mixed martial arts school in the Hudson Valley. Boxing, Muay Thai, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are taught every single day of the week. In addition, the gym is properly equipped for each individual art. Thai pads, jump ropes and kick shields for muay thai training, a full size boxing ring, heavy bag, upper cut bag and double end bag for boxing, crash pads and zebra mats for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu – all in a 5,000 square foot facility.

Here’s a look inside a typical Monday at Precision Mixed Martial Arts – students begin with boxing and muay thai training before getting on the ground for grappling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. At this Hudson Valley Mixed Martial Arts school no stone is left unturned.

Check out Precision Mixed Martial Arts in LaGrange, NY call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com to get started

Picking a Fight – Precision Mixed Martial Arts in LaGrange, NY

BJJ, jiu-jitsu, MMA No Responses »

Jan 102013

Precision MMA LaGrange, NY

I started martial arts the day after Thanksgiving in 1999. At the time I was barely tall enough to ride Space Mountain and couldn’t fight my way out of a wet paper bag. I had a big mouth, but I was all bark and no bite. I had my martial arts epiphany after my sister’s boyfriend ended up on the wrong end of a disagreement which left him in the hospital with broken ribs and a punctured lung. He was 20 years old, stood about 6 ft 2 and was close to 200 pounds, in my estimation a Goliath. Despite his considerable frame he was helpless to defend himself. I could only imagine what would have happen to me. I decided I would do everything in my power to make sure I wouldn’t share a similar fate. I discovered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu after buying UFC 1 at a local block buster. Watching a skinny Royce Gracie slay giants inside a chain linked fence had a profound effect on me, I had made up my mind – I joined a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school and never looked back.

Fast forward to 2005, I decided I wanted to have a professional fight. The ironic part of all this was I joined martial arts to protect me from a fight and in the end it drove me to sign up for one. I had been training for a little over 4 years and I started to feel confident in my ability to defend myself, but I couldn’t silence doubts in the back of my head. What if someone really wanted to hurt me? Could I use my skills against someone who was trying to knock my head off my shoulders? Can my knowledge stand up to a real world test? I had to know, for certain, for real what I would do in a serious fight. I wasn’t looking to fight in the UFC or have my name up in lights; I was on a quest for personal discovery.

I finally made my leap and was added to the card for Sportfighting 3 in April of 2006 – an event being run by Grappler’s Quest promoter Brian Cimins. My opponent was Khristian Geraci from team Real Combat. I remember feverously searching for information on him. All I was able to gather was that he had won some amateur boxing matches and was facing trial for stealing laptops.

I was obsessed with the fight. I was concerned I wouldn’t be used to grappling with gloves so for about 4 days I did everything (aside from using the bathroom) with MMA gloves on. I got more than a few curious looks at gas stations and deli counters. I did 2 practice weight cuts to make sure I would be on point. I would listen to my entrance music everyday on my way to training. Looking back it’s all pretty comical, but at the time I was serious as a heart attack.

Finally fight night arrived. I remember on my way to the arena my friend and I were looking for somewhere to eat when a disturbed homeless man ran after us screaming that we “stole his job”. I thought to myself as we ran frantically away from him “this will be a good warm up”.

At the arena my heart was about to explode from my chest as I watched other fighters get submitted or knocked out. When it was time to get wrapped I could barely keep my hands from trembling. I went to the bathroom and stared myself in the mirror and wondered why the Hell I signed up for this.

At one point my coach Rob saw that I was nervous and looked at me said “Hey Kid stop that shit, you’re going to kill this chump and in fact I’ve got a lot of reality TV to watch tonight so if you wouldn’t mind let’s make this quick”.

Finally it was my turn to fight. Walking towards the ring I kept thinking, “I’m sure I can figure a way out of this, I’m not in the ring yet”. Once I realized there was no going back I simply convinced myself this was nothing more than a jiu-jitsu tournament with gloves on. Somehow that thought was comforting, bringing familiarity to the chaos of the moment. Once the bell rang it was Gracie Jiu-Jitsu 101. Clinch, trip, guard pass, take the back, choke – it took all of 23 seconds. Walking back to my corner my coach looked at me and said “That’s what you were worried about?”

As it turns out my training was there for me when I needed it. What I learned in the last 6 years was worthwhile after all. I was no longer a scared 15 year old – for that day I felt 10 feet tall.

Want to fulfill your dream of fighting mixed martial arts? Try Precision MMA in LaGrange, NY

Precision MMA offers a 30 Day Free Trial call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com to get started

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